Could Neymar really miss the 2026 World Cup? Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil plans for Santos star reportedly revealed
Could Neymar’s dazzling yellow shirt days be truly over? For the first time in over a decade, the question doesn’t sound exaggerated. The Santos forward — Brazil’s all-time leading scorer — and Carlo Ancelotti, the man currently leading the Selecao, find themselves at a delicate crossroads. Everything suggests that Neymar may never again wear Brazil’s colors at a World Cup, as the new project under Ancelotti appears to be moving on without him.
Behind the scenes, it’s a painful reality: a soccer idol caught between fading fitness and a manager’s ruthless pragmatism. Neymar’s comeback to Santos earlier this year was supposed to be his rebirth, but instead, it’s been shadowed by recurring injuries and frustrating pauses. Since mid-September, he has played only 23 minutes for his club. Brazil’s latest squad list did not include Neymar. And that absence — quiet but loaded with meaning — spoke louder than any official statement.
Reports from UOL journalists Rodrigo Mattos and Pedro Lopes confirmed what many feared. Mattos revealed that “Ancelotti has definitively ruled out the Brazilian star, believing he is not physically ready to compete at the highest level.” Lopes added that “Ancelotti’s team, which is tracking Neymar, believes his physical performance is far below what is currently required for the national team.”
Their words echoed across Brazil, where the news spread like wildfire. The signs had been there for months — The Italian boss’ tactical system simply has no room for Neymar. In the Little Canary’s recent selections, the Italian manager favored mobility and high pressing, qualities that no longer align with the playmaker’s current rhythm.
Since his serious ligament tear in 2023, the 33-year-old veteran has not featured for Brazil, and his long recovery has stripped him of the sharpness that once defined his game. He has endured not only the pain of rehabilitation but also the growing doubt surrounding his ability to return to the top.
What did Ancelotti say earlier about Neymar?
When Carlo Ancelotti faced reporters after announcing his squad for Brazil’s November friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia, the inevitable question came — what about Neymar? The experienced coach’s response was calm, but it carried a brutal honesty that seemed to close a chapter. “I haven’t spoken to Neymar yet. We’ll see what happens when he recovers and is able to play again,” he said.
Then came the line that defined everything: “I might call up a player who lacks fitness for the first match or two of the World Cup, but it is impossible for me to include a player who is not physically ready for the entire tournament. We need players who are at their best.”
Those words, perhaps unintentionally, drew a curtain over the forward’s World Cup dream. Even if there’s no official exclusion, the message was clear: only those performing at full intensity will make the flight to North America in 2026.
For a player who once dreamed of lifting the World Cup trophy, this feels like a cruel twist of fate. The upcoming tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico was supposed to be his redemption — the stage for a glorious final act. Instead, it now looms as a competition he may watch from afar, another casualty of time and injury.